Monday 15 December 2014

Gold Amalgam Crystals

Main Menu - click above

Mercury was used to recover gold at Clunes, Victoria (above). Crystals were found in the mercury; this from The Gold Fields and Mineral Districts of Victoria, by Robert Brough Smyth, 1869 -

...crystal we have noticed was the size of a pea. The crystals would no doubt increase in size if left for a longer period."

Some of these crystals were exhibited in the Intercolonial Exhibition. Mr George F Ulrich, the mineralogist, obtained some for analysis. This from Intercolonial Exhibition of Australasia, Melbourne 1866-67 Official Record -



The Au Hg amalgam appears to have some unusual properties when heated. This from The Analytical Review, Volume 22, By Thomas Christie, 1795 -


The next article in The Analytical Review, although having absolutely nothing to do with gold amalgams, is of some interest -


This from The Metallurgy of Gold, by T Kirke Rose, 1898 -



Here's a link to modern day experimentation - Au + Hg Amalgamation

Please help beat cancer - DONATE click above

Unrelated to this post, below is an example of
eclectic science esoterica 


No longer jumping
Salticidae in copal from Madagascar. Size of specimen 3.2 mm
by Didier Descouens



Main Menu - click above
WARNING - Many subjects outlined within this site are extremely dangerous and are provided here for information only. Please don`t experiment with high voltages or chemicals unless you are fully conversant with safe laboratory practices. No liability will be accepted for death, injury or damage arising from experimentation using any information or materials supplied.